You know that thing where a child star just vanishes? They do one big show, make a ton of money, and then you see them twenty years later on a reality show about people who used to be famous.
Josh Peck didn't do that. Honestly, it’s kinda weird how he didn't.
Most of us know him as the guy who screamed about "spherical" games and got hit by a lot of foam on Nickelodeon. But if you look at the full list of josh peck movies and tv shows, the range is actually staggering. We’re talking about a guy who went from being a "boob" on a colorful sitcom to standing in the middle of a desert in a Christopher Nolan epic.
It wasn't a straight line. Not even close.
The Nick Era: More Than Just a Laugh Track
Everyone starts with Drake & Josh. It’s the law of the internet. From 2004 to 2007, Peck was one half of the most successful comedic duo for the pre-teen set. He played Josh Nichols, the rule-following, sweater-vest-wearing foil to Drake Bell’s cool-guy persona.
But while he was doing that, he was also doing Mean Creek (2004).
If you haven’t seen it, it’s dark. Like, really dark. He plays George Tooney, a bully who is actually just a deeply lonely, misunderstood kid. It’s a performance that won him a Special Distinction Award at the Independent Spirit Awards. Most people at the time didn't even realize it was the same kid from the "Hug Me, Brother!" show. He was already showing that he wasn't just a sitcom actor.
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Then there was the voice work.
Starting in 2006, Peck became Eddie the possum in Ice Age: The Meltdown. He stayed with that franchise for a decade. It’s a massive paycheck, sure, but voicing a hyperactive prehistoric marsupial takes a specific kind of energy that most dramatic actors can't touch.
The Awkward Middle Years and the "Indie" Pivot
After Drake & Josh ended, things got interesting. This is the era of josh peck movies and tv shows that most casual fans completely missed. He did The Wackness in 2008. He played a pot-dealing teenager in 1994 New York, acting opposite Sir Ben Kingsley. Think about that for a second. The guy from Schindler’s List and the guy from The Amanda Show sharing scenes about selling weed out of an ice cream cart.
It worked.
He followed that up with Red Dawn (2012), the remake of the 80s classic. He played Matt Eckert. It wasn't exactly a critical darling, but it proved he could handle a big-budget action movie. He was physical, he was intense, and he looked nothing like the kid from the mid-2000s.
A Quick Look at the Deep Cuts
- Special (2006): He played Joey. A tiny, weird indie film most people haven't heard of.
- ATM (2012): A horror-thriller where he’s trapped in an ATM booth. It’s claustrophobic and bizarre.
- The Timber (2015): A gritty western. Yes, Josh Peck did a western.
- Grandfathered (2015-2016): His return to network TV alongside John Stamos. It was charming, but Fox cancelled it after one season. Typical.
The Nolan Call: Oppenheimer and Beyond
Nobody saw Oppenheimer coming.
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When the cast list for Christopher Nolan’s 2023 masterpiece dropped, Josh Peck’s name stood out. He played Kenneth Bainbridge, the real-life physicist who was in charge of the Trinity test.
He has a specific, high-pressure job in the movie: he’s the guy who has to press the button.
Nolan is notorious for not using cell phones on set and demanding absolute focus. Peck has talked in interviews about how surreal it was to go from the world of "Vlogging" and internet skits to a set where every single second felt like high art. He didn't have a lot of lines, but he didn't need them. His face in that final countdown sequence told the whole story. It was the ultimate "I’ve arrived" moment for an actor who spent years trying to shed his childhood skin.
The TV Resurgence: How I Met Your Father and iCarly
While he was busy with Oscars and explosions, he also leaned back into his TV roots. He joined the cast of How I Met Your Father as Drew, the "nice guy" vice principal. He also had a recurring bit in the iCarly revival, which felt like a beautiful, meta nod to the old Nickelodeon days.
And then there’s the voice of Casey Jones in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2013-2017).
If you grew up in the 2010s, he isn't Josh Nichols to you. He’s the guy with the hockey mask and the baseball bat. He’s been working constantly. The guy doesn't stop.
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What’s Next in 2026?
As of early 2026, Peck is still moving. There are reports of him returning to the Ice Age universe for Ice Age: Boiling Point, reprising his role as Eddie. There's also been a massive shift in how he handles his public image. After the Quiet on Set documentary shook the industry in 2024, Peck has been more vocal about the realities of child stardom, reuniting with Drake Bell for a series of honest, sometimes difficult conversations that have humanized him even more to his long-term fans.
He’s currently slated for a role in a new drama series called Land of Sin, though details are still emerging.
The Actionable Takeaway for the Fan or Filmmaker
If you're tracking the career of someone like Josh Peck, the lesson isn't just about "reinvention." It’s about consistency. He never looked down on voice work. He never stopped taking "small" indie roles even when the big ones weren't calling.
If you want to dive deeper into his filmography, don't just stick to the hits.
- Watch Mean Creek tonight. It will completely change how you view his acting ability.
- Check out The Wackness. It’s the bridge between his "teen star" era and his "serious actor" era.
- Re-watch the Trinity test scene in Oppenheimer. Look at his eyes. That’s a man who knows exactly where he is and how hard he worked to get there.
The transition from child star to respected character actor is the hardest jump to make in Hollywood. Most people miss the landing. Josh Peck? He’s currently sticking it.